Zig Zag: Space

	Science - Start Here!
	ITV Schools, Channel 4 Schools
	1987-1994
	Science

	Say It in Gaelic
	BBC Schools Radio
	1979-1991
	Languages

	Merry-Go-Round
	BBC Schools TV
	1963-1983
	Miscellany

📺BBC Schools TV

companyBBC

started16th Jan 1984

ended17th Oct 1988

last rpt26th Oct 1988

6 school years

episodes6

duration20 mins

subject 👨‍🔬ScienceAstronomy

age rangeAge 7-9

languageenIn English

Zig Zag

Previous unit: ComputersNext unit: The Olympics

Space is a unit of the BBC Schools TV series Zig Zag from the 1980s, covering Astronomy for Primary pupils.

Sheelagh and Paul travel in the 'Spaceship Zig Zag' on the first stage of a rocket journey, investigate the beginnings of space travel, landing a man on the moon, and the other planets in our solar system. The subject of space exploration was chosen for its topical interest to schoolchildren in 1984, anticipating a visit from Halley's Comet which eventually took place in 1986.

From 1986 this unit was joined by two episodes on Spaceship Earth which consider Earth as a spaceship and look at its resources and weather. Those two programmes have a separate page on this site.

The original transmission in 1984 concluded with a repeat of an episode of Merry-Go-Round from summer 1981 about the light from the sun. For subsequent transmissions in 1986 and 1988 this was replaced by new, topical programmes made each year looking ahead to forthcoming events in space exploration.

Episode List

#	Title	Broadcast
1.	Into Space	#1984-01-16-00-00-0016 Jan 1984
2.	On the Moon	#1984-01-23-00-00-0023 Jan 1984
3.	Planets and Comets	#1984-01-30-00-00-0030 Jan 1984
4.	Stars	#1984-02-06-00-00-006 Feb 1984
-	rpt Light and Shadow	#1984-02-13-00-00-0013 Feb 1984
5.	Tomorrow's Spacemen	#1986-02-03-00-00-003 Feb 1986
6.	Tomorrow's Space	#1988-10-17-00-00-0017 Oct 1988

Broadcasts

Year	Term	Mon	Tue	Wed	Fri	Channel	Details
1983-84	Spring 1984	Monday, 11:00am		Wednesday, 2:40pm		BBC2
1985-86	Spring 1986	Monday, 11:00am		Wednesday, 2:40pm		BBC2
1985-86	Summer 1986		Tuesday, 2:40pm		Friday, 10:15am	BBC2	Subtitle Slot
1988-89	Autumn 1988	Monday, 10:58am		Wednesday, 1:40pm		BBC2

Credits

Presenter	Sheelagh Gilbey Paul Coia
Producer	David Meldrum (1984) John Watkins (1986) Peter M. Evans (1988)

Resources

Teacher's Notes

There were teacher's notes available.

Zig Zag (1983-2000)

Series Overview • Units • Episode List

Ancient Greece (1996) • The Anglo-Saxons (1992) • The Arabs (1984) • Art (1997) • Canada (1987) • Cathedrals (1989) • The Channel Tunnel (1987) • Computers (1983) • Danger Detectors (1996) • The Eskimos (1985) • Food and Farming (1995) • France (2000) • Gardens and Growth (1985) • Geography UK (1995) • Getting About (1988) • The Greeks (1986) • Hungry Times (1983) • Invaders (1997) • Kenya (1994-96) • Let's Face It (1990) • Making It Work (1997) • Mapmakers! (1993) • Mordicus (1986) • The Normans (1983) • The Odyssey (1990) • The Olympics (1984-92) • Over to You (1985-89) • Roman Britain (1993) • Rush, The Fallow Deer (1987) • The Saga of Gunnar Goldhair (1987) • Snapshots: Children in the Second World War (2000) • Space (1984-88) • Spaceship Earth (1986) • Tales from Europe (1992) • Tales from Europe (2000) • Technology (1991) • Topical Programmes (1985-89) • Trees (1993) • Trees and Man (1991) • Tudor Life (1998) • The Vikings (1987) • Village, Town, City (1997) • A Walk Through Time (1999) • Water (1990) • Water, Air, Land (1998) • Weather (1999) • Where You Live, Where I Live (1994) • Wildlife Safari (1989-91) • Winter Festival (1986) • World of Work (1989) • You and the Media (1986)

See also: Zig Zag Shorts • Landmarks • Primary Geography • Primary History

Topics

School topics covered in this programme. Click to find other programmes covering the same topics, but bear in mind topics are a new addition to the site in 2023 and not many are set up yet.

Astronomy

Keyword tags

Some features of this programme. Click to find other programmes with the same features, but bear in mind tags are also a new addition to the site in 2023 and not many are set up yet.

Extra episodes added later

More

Want more on this programme?

This site attempts to cover thousands of programmes and it will take ages to update them all. If you would like to see this one updated soon please click on the star to 'vote' for it and I will do my best to prioritise it!

Voting is anonymous and you can vote for as many programmes as you like. The number in the box above shows how many people have already voted for this programme. You can also see a list of all the votes so far.

More Programmes

Some random programmes for age 7-9 from the 1980s

Science Naturally
BBC Schools Radio
1989-1990
Science

Science - Start Here!
ITV Schools, Channel 4 Schools
1987-1994
Science